He never forgets to show us his love and faithfulness.
— Psalm 98:3 (TPT)
When You Feel Forgotten
As we move through life we remember all kinds of things – birthdays, experiences, to lock the car doors, etc. But if we’re being honest, we also forget many things too. (And if you’re like me, it sometimes feels like the forgetting is happening more often than the remembering!) We forget appointments, conversations, pots on a stove…even, tragically, children in the car.
Here’s a sobering statistic: according to KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit dedicated to child vehicle safety, an average of 38 children die each year from being left unattended in hot cars. That’s about one child every nine days. Since 1990, over 900 children have lost their lives this way. According to Kids and Cars, the heartbreaking reality is that this “often happens when someone deviates from their normal routine.” Experts say “it could happen to anyone”. They went on to say, “forgetting a child is not a negligence problem but a memory problem”. That’s a terrifying thought.
God Never Forgets
And yet, in contrast to our human forgetfulness, isn’t it astounding that the God of the universe never forgets us? He not only remembers us, He remembers every detail about us. He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. (I mean I lose so many hairs every day, how can He possibly keep up?
The truth is, God would never forget us – no matter how many children He has or how much is going on in the world. Even when it feels like He has forgotten or abandoned us, He hasn’t and He never will. We can stand firmly on that truth.
He Remembers – and He Acts
Scripture shows us over and over how God remembers His people out of His great love for them. Remember the Israelites in Egypt? They were enslaved for over 400 years – abused and beaten, forced into hard labor. They even had their baby boys taken and killed. Surely, they must’ve thought at some time during those 400 years that God had forgotten them. I know I would have.
But Exodus 2:24-25 (NLT) tells a different story:
“God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”
To the Israelites, that time may have felt long overdue – a month, a year, even a century into their suffering. I’m sure they felt they had been long forgotten by their God. But God had not forgotten. He heard. He remembered. And God came to their rescue.
And how about Noah. He and his family – and all those animals – were on the ark for over a year. Talk about a quarantine in close quarters! After 40 days and nights of rain, Genesis 7:24 says, “the waters flooded the earth for 150 days.” If you continue reading in Genesis 8, verse 1 tells us, “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.” But Noah’s wait was not over. Continue reading through verse 15 and we come to find out Noah and his family were on the ark for 12 ½ months. Can you even imagine? Makes our COVID quarantine seem like child’s play! Even after he opened the covering of the boat, Noah had to wait another 2 months. Even then, Noah waited patiently for God’s go-ahead before stepping off the ark. How many of us would’ve jumped ship at the first sign of dry ground?
And let’s not forget Rachel. After years of infertility, Genesis 30:22 tells us:
“God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.”
Friend, maybe you’re in a season where you feel forgotten. I can assure you, He hasn’t. God does not change. Even when we are fickle and forget, our God never does. His faithfulness is timeless. The same God who remembered Noah, the Israelites, and Rachel is the God who remembers you. Let these stories breathe fresh faith into your soul. And take time now and then to have your own little Messiah Memorial Day – a moment to reflect on how God has remembered you in the past and remains faithful today.
Pray
Holy God, thank You for being the God whose memory never fails. Help me trust that even in the moments when I can’t see You, feel You, or hear You, You are still present – never abandoning me, never forgetting me. Remind me through Your Word how faithfully You have remembered, rescued, and restored Your people throughout history, even when they were unfaithful to You. Because of Your great love, You continue to do the same for us today. I am forever grateful. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Additional Reading – Stories in the Bible for how God Remembers
- Noah – Genesis 6:9 – 8:22
- Israelites in Egypt – Exodus 1:1 – 2:25
- Rachel – Genesis 29:14 – 30:24
- Joseph – Genesis 30 – 50
- The Promised Messiah – Matthew 1:18-26
